The Marriage of Convenience
by MissJ79
Summary: Speculation from Neighbours end of 1987. What was going on in both their minds when Gail comes back from the US and asks her husband Paul for a divorce?
1. Chapter 1

It was at 35,000 feet, in the middle of a long, quiet journey back to Australia, and Gail Robinson was wide awake in her seat, contemplating what would greet her upon her landing. The cabin was dim, most of her fellow passengers were asleep, but she knew that no sleep would come for her. But at least now she had made a decision, finally, things seemed more manageable. Clarity. That was it – she had had a moment of clarity. The first sensible thing she had thought of in the two weeks she had been away. The first sensible thing, as a matter of fact, she had thought of since she had married Paul Robinson.

She should have been excited, she should have been jumping out of her skin at going to visit Rosemary for the first time and see how the US end of the corporation worked. But those first days after arriving, something inside her seemed so empty. And at the back of her mind she knew the real problem, the real heart of the matter. No matter how long she had tried to resist it. No matter how hard she fought against it. And now she had admitted it to herself, she could only see one option.

She was in love with her husband. Somewhere, amongst the rows, misunderstandings, and the fact that he was ruthless and as ambitious as anyone she had known, she had fallen in love with him. Completely, unreservedly. And unrequitedly. And not being with him – everyday in the office, every evening at home, sleeping across the hallway from him – was so horribly painful she was astonished. Pain lanced her heart when she had spoken to him from Honolulu – imagining him picking up the phone in their lounge. She knew in a few hours she would walk into that very house – the house she had really called home for the last 6 months – and tell him what she wanted. A divorce.

Divorce. Divorce number two, she thought wryly. The end of a business arrangement – the severing of the contract that they had agreed upon. But she had lived in a one sided marriage before and wasn't about to relive another. Paul did not love her. Oh, he was fond of her of course. They were friends, they worked well together. He valued her loyalty. But she couldn't kid herself into thinking there was anything else between them – at least not from him. With Paul it was business, first, second and last.

She did love his family though, and how they had welcomed her into the fold like she had always been one of them. She had felt like such an utter hypocrite – acting out the picture of a normal young married couple. It all got so complicated so fast – and yet no-one seemed to suspect subterfuge on their part at all, taking it for granted that their marriage was the real deal. Her little sister in law, little Lucy, all enthusiasm and guile. Paul's lovely grandmother, Helen, her kind brown eyes regarding her. That disastrous day when Helen had seen that affectionate moment with Glen, and a concerned Helen had asked her if she did love Paul. She hated having to lie to the Robinsons about the true nature of their marriage, she hated the pretending and the acting.

But she was not to know that on the ground in Australia her husband was contemplating the very same thing.

It had been an odd two weeks without her in the house or in the office. He had no idea how much he would miss her presence – she had come such a part of his life it was very strange not to have her there. And he had to admit he was a bit grumpy without her there to talk to. His grandmother had teased him about that very thing, and he grudgingly admitted he missed her. And then grudgingly admitted it to himself. He missed her. He couldn't wait to have her back.

She loved his family, and they were so fond of her. Lucy adored her like an older Sister. Scott loved her. Jim doted on her. He loved that she loved them. He loved that she was so sound in judgment and so diplomatic and how all the staff, from the housemaids to the managers – respected her. He loved that she always found a way to end disagreements, the way she charmed every single person she ever came cross. She was an asset to any organization.

It wasn't until she had been gone ten long days he finally had a moment of peace. Lying in bed at night, he found his thoughts drifting to that night several months ago when she had gone out with that smoothie pilot Glen Matheson. She had come home, smelling slightly of wine and that lovely scent she always wore – it was musky and sophisticated – perfect for her. Her hair was done in a lovely quiff, and as she turned around to take her earrings off, he glimpsed the back of her dress. He couldn't take his eyes off her. It was open, a backless dress, and it left no possibility of anything under it. The curve of her back displayed, her skin as smooth and opaque as caramel. A jolt of lust hit him as he remembered it – she was close enough that he could have touched her. She put a hand lightly on his shoulder, and her lips grazed his cheek. 'Goodnight then', she said, and the door closed between them.

He had stayed in the hallway another couple of moments, frozen. What if he knocked on her door? What would the door open to? She couldn't be interested. Surely. Anyway, what they had was sensible and it worked. He couldn't risk that by trying to sleep with her. He returned to his own bed, but had a restless night, his senses filled with her, as they were now....Thinking of those huge green eyes and that wry grin she always gave him, and her lovely graceful hands. Everything was sophisticated and elegant about her. God she was a lovely looking woman.

And he wanted her. There was hardly any point in denying that. He wanted her. He wanted her to look at him in that way, he wanted to stop the horrible words they had exchanged by covering her mouth with his own and flattening her body against his. But it was more than lust for her, and he knew it, and finally he admitted to himself that he really really did like her. But like wasn't the word.

He loved her. He had fallen in love with his wife. And the very minute she got back, he was going to tell her.


	2. Chapter 2

There was nothing quite as good as a long hot shower after disembarking a long journey. As a stewardess she had always relished in rushing to the nearest hotel after a long haul flight, and standing under the shower until the day and the memories of the revolting groping business passengers were washed away. Maybe if she stayed under this one long enough, the day she had just had would be washed away as well. It certainly wasn't one she would be forgetting in a hurry though. The hot stream of the water continued to hit her until it began to flush her skin pink.

Touching down in Melbourne. Arriving, but dreading it. Taxi all the way back to the Eastern suburbs, watching the familiar gumtrees and signage rush by in a blur. And then getting home to a house filled with flowers. Getting home now, to her husband. A man who was soon to be no more her husband.

Well, thank God it was done now, she was grateful for that. She had been dreading telling him, articulating those words. _I want a divorce_.

So it was done. That was all she could be thankful for. As soon as she saw him, and his apparent gladness at seeing her, her resolve wavered. Oh God she did love him though. She had forgotten how he was only that much taller than her, she had forgotten those lovely dimples he had when he smiled, they made him look so young. But what was the point? This wasn't going to change – and he certainly wasn't going to change.

He had even gone the whole hog in the charade – setting the table for dinner and putting flowers all around the house. She would bet her income it was Helen who put him up to it – there was no way he would have come up with that on his own. It was such a farce, and it made her want to weep. But she hardened her heart. She had rehearsed what she would say to him – that way she wouldn't say what she really felt when the time came. And then told him that she wanted a divorce - the sooner the better.

To his credit, he _had _looked a bit perturbed when she told him. Almost as if he actually cared. He had taken her by her forearm and asked if she had met someone else. She had almost laughed, albeit inwardly. As if. There was no room in her heart for anyone but her husband. She was so in love with him. And the bottom line was that he did not love her. He was simply acting like any man whose property had been taken away – territorial is what he was. He didn't want her, but he didn't like the thought of another man having her either. Typical.

And ever so quickly, he had drawn his trump card – the family and the business and what would they all think. So typical of him, caring about the business and what his family would think. He narrowed his eyes and snapped at her, telling he would figure out a settlement for her as soon as he could.

So it was done, the most difficult part. Everything else would be lesser compared to this: telling his family, telling their friends – all of that was scenery compared to actually asking for the separation.

She stepped out of the cubicle and dried herself, taking a deep breath. There was no avoiding it, she would have to go down and face him sooner or later and decide on the logistics of the whole thing. She steeled herself. She was not going to shed any more tears over this than he was.

Gail knew that should have felt vast amounts of relief. But instead, she felt a million times worse. Soon he would be out of her life and she out of his. And that felt like about the worst thing in the world.

He was devastated. There was no other word for it. This was so ridiculous. The whole thing. And she had thrown this at him before he had even had a chance to draw a breath. Entering their house, she looked oddly at him, as if she didn't quite know what to say, and instead she had warmly greeted his father. She looked amazing, her hair shorter, showing off that beautiful neck of hers; her enormous eyes bright, despite the hours of travel to get home. God it was good to have her back. And then – she said she wanted a divorce.

He could hardly believe his ears. A divorce? Since when? And why? She insisted she hadn't met someone else but he didn't know whether to believe her or not. But maybe she had, and for reasons best known to herself she had decided to keep it from him. The thought of her being with another man made him feel physically ill, and the jealousy he felt was like a punch to the stomach. The very idea of another man touching her was so abhorrent. But why else? Why the sudden urge to end it all?

He knew her well enough to know when she decided upon something she was about as immovable as – well, as he was. She was so headstrong, and as much as that frustrated him, it didnt mean he loved her any less....But he didn't want a divorce – he wanted to stay married to her – and he wanted to be married to her properly. He wanted to be the first thing she saw in the morning and the last thing she saw at night. He wanted, no, needed her to be part of his life. That was it, he would speak to her, and no time like the present. He took the stairs two at a time, striding into the lounge.

'Gail I have got to talk to you. This divorce thing is insane, you don't want it and nor do I.'

The lounge was dim and empty. Gail had gone.


	3. Chapter 3

It wasn't until the door slammed behind them that the brave face she had plastered on finally crumbled. She pressed her forehead to the wall and sobbed – the first time she had allowed herself to really cry since she had returned. God, what a mess this whole thing had become. She had been so naïve, thinking that the marriage contract could be wound up like any other. There was so much more at stake than just her and Paul. His family interfering, coupled with the heartbreak of having to leave him, made things utterly unbearable.

Gail was thoroughly ashamed of herself. She had really let them have it and she felt suitably dreadful about it - but they had forced her hand. She liked Paul's brother and his wife very much – Scott was almost like a little brother to her and she didn't fault them for wanting to help. But they had persisted and hassled – and she had clawed at them as if she was cornered.

'It's obvious that Paul loves you', said Scott. No. No, it was _not _obvious. They kept up a pretense and Scott and everyone else had seen that facade... Paul did not love her and he never had. And even if he did have feelings for her, he would be the last person in the world to tell her how he really felt. He was so battle hardened – loving a man like him was hopeless.

Pressing on, irrespective of her insisting that she did not want to talk about it, Scott said, 'And asking you to marry him, that wasn't business was it?'

Christ, the irony. If only they knew. The thing was, they didn't know a damn thing about her marriage and she told them so. They left then, leaving her to herself. Could this situation get any worse? She couldn't see how.

What was it about Paul? Why did she have to fall for him so hopelessly? He was ruthless and ambitious but he would go to the ends of the earth for his family – and sometimes there was the odd bit of tenderness from him towards her that wasn't properly within the parameters of their supposed friendship. Helping bail her father out from his financial woes was one time. And he certainly had behaved strangely when she spent time with Glen – but that was just him being proprietorial wasn't it. But those were hardly things she could pin any hope on. She needed to get him out of her system.

She rested her back against the pillar and sighed, willing the tears to stop. Unbidden, a memory came to her which made her insides turn to liquid. This is where he had kissed her. This spot. Fleetingly, his warm mouth was on hers, her hands could feel the muscles in his back, and he gripped her insistently. For only a minute, he was kissing her like _that, _and they were simply a man and a woman. They had pulled away from each other at the same instant, and she saw utter surprise on his face. It wasn't until the alarm bells went off in her head, and she yanked her face away from his, she knew how attracted to him she was. She was an adult and she knew that if they had not been in this situation – if both of them weren't so scarred and hurt and wanted self preservation - that the kiss wouldn't have ended that way.

She managed to settle herself down, finally, and lay on the couch with some tissues, trying to leave the memory of that day behind her. She was considering a nice scotch to calm her nerves a bit further when there was a knock at the door and she cringed. Dealing with more people was not something that appealed right now. Especially if it was another well meaning family member.

Paul made his way back to his former home. He was willing to wager that Scott and Charlene had spoken to Gail as they had spoken to him earlier that day; he hoped so much she wasn't upset by it. Maybe this was a good time to try and speak to her – really speak to her this time – and try to get over this wall she had erected around herself. In any case, he missed living with her. He had lived at the hotel before, but this was different. He still had a few possessions at the house, and he used that as an excuse to knock on the door.

She opened it looking drawn and pale. And hostile. 'Can't you just get all your things and be done with it?' she had said. And then Glen Matheson appeared in the lounge. Biggles was here was he? That would be right. Comforting her. He had been like a vulture circling, waiting for his chance. Well good luck to him.

'I didn't realise you were _entertaining_, Gail,' he spat at her. 'I'll come back later.'

Well. That didn't take long, did it? Maybe she would move Glen into the house. Maybe now she could have what she wanted. Maybe Glen was the other man – the reason she wanted a divorce. It made him feel ill.

Angry and unbearably jealous as he roared down the street in his car, he was slightly comforted by the fact he would still see a lot of her. At least he would still see her at work. Even though she wasn't interested, he still had her there. And they had worked so well together – they were a great team. And Gail was nothing if not career driven – he knew she wouldn't throw such a good position away, even if the marriage had failed. Surely she wouldn't.

Yes, there was still a chance goddamnit. As long as she was still working for him, she was still part of his life.


	4. Chapter 4

Bitterly and utterly bereft, he lashed out at the one person who was the centre of his grief, and there was real vitriol in the low voice he heard from himself. 'All that toadying to Rosemary has paid off – and now you have no husband to weigh you down. It's very convenient, very clever. I admire you for that.'

Her face turned ashen. 'You really hate me don't you?' she murmured, as she fled the inner office, and he heard the door slam behind her.

Paul almost felt like crying with frustration and loss. No, he didn't hate her. The truth was about as far from that as she could get - he was hopelessly in love with her. But this is what happened when you let your guard down – she was going to leave him just like every other woman in his life had left him. He was losing his best friend in the world, the very woman that wanted to get as far away from him as possible. There was so little point in fighting it. She didn't want him; she couldn't wait to put the Pacific Ocean between them.

He knew how badly he was behaving. He could hear himself alienating everyone around him, lashing out at everyone who expressed their regret at the breakup of his marriage. It was somewhat satisfying to eject Matheson from the office, something he had restrained himself from doing in the past; but when Jane, delightful, gentle Jane, commented on his outburst he sharply told her to take a break as well. It was just too obvious why this was happening. Gail was leaving and he couldn't stop her.

He found himself staring into space, and then ended up focusing on the office door. All those months ago, he had been beyond surprised when an attractive brunette walked through that door. The Miss Lewis who had just been announced for a job interview was none other than Gail Lewis, the trainer he had had at the airline. He had hesitated in giving her the role, even though she was head and shoulders above the other applicants. She had been tough when he had worked under her; but he liked and respected her enough to know that she would do a good job. Then they found how well they worked together; renewing their friendship; he watched her work and admire her greatly. He remembered ruefully when he had hopefully put an arm around her and she had very smartly told him where to go. And then the Udugawa thing had come up and he had suggested the marriage of convenience to her – but then things had gotten so complex so quickly. Not just the cover story they put up for their business associates, like Udugawa, but to their families and their friends as well. All of a sudden he found himself in this marriage – so different to what he had with Terry – he had a real partner in her, even if they weren't romantically involved.

His feelings for her grew while he was looking the other way – then she went overseas for a few weeks and he realised how much she really did mean to him. Now she was leaving forever, and just for a brief moment he could imagine having her in his arms – as a real wife. What if he had handled things differently? But there was only room for regret now, and he ached with it.


	5. Chapter 5

She hung up the phone. There _were_ some perks to having worked for the airline, and calling one of the travel desks and managing to change a flight free of charge was certainly one of them. And that was exactly what Gail had done, bringing her New York flight forward to seven that evening – so now she would have to be at the airport by sooner she could run away from this hopeless, horrible mess, the better.

The death of her mother, then the end of her marriage to Jeremy after his umpteenth affair – those things were on the same scale to _this_. She was utterly convinced she was doing the right thing by leaving forever – to put as much distance between herself and this disaster as she could. But God, the pain was still constant, even with the end in sight.

Gail never imagined any of this would end so badly – she knew now that she had lost her second family in the Robinsons, upsetting them with her decision to end her marriage to Paul and then dropping the bombshell that the marriage had been a farce from the get go, by presenting Helen with a copy of the original nuptial contract. It was almost as if she felt the need to prove what a horrible person she was, renewing her feelings of self loathing. Paul was reluctant to do it – but she had insisted, wanting to put an end to them all interfering in their relationship. And it had worked, but now she had managed to upset Helen. Helen was one of the kindliest people she had ever had the fortune to know, and she was the last person in the world Gail wanted to sadden. So now things had spiraled well out of control – she had effectively alienated the whole family and told Paul where he could go as well.

She was a little surprised therefore when she opened the door to Scott, telling him if he was there to speak about Paul and her he could forget it. Scott was visibly shaken as he came in. He was a lovely boy and she was tremendously fond of him. Paul and he had had their differences but they were very close brothers. He told her he would miss her, offering to take her to the airport himself.

This was so much harder than she had ever considered. She gratefully hugged Scott back. 'I have loved having a younger brother, even if it was only for a few months'.

Scott suddenly showed that side of him that proved he was definitely a blood relation of Paul Robinson, by suddenly and sharply saying 'This is _wrong!_ The whole family loves you, _especially _Paul.'

For Gods sake. She would believe it when she heard it from Paul himself, and not before. How many chances had he had in the last months to tell her, if indeed he did feel that way? Thousands was the answer. The whole situation was pointless beyond belief. The sooner she was safe in New York, the better. Scott left the house, saying he would be back later to pick her up and left her alone. Gail dissolved into tears once more.

By the end of the day she would be airborne. The entire house was packed up now – and with it all those memories of her relationship with Paul Robinson. She had been quietly thrilled when he had purchased the house for her – and for all his talk about her using it as an asset, that was never how she considered it. It was her – their, actually – home. But now – now it belonged in the past like their mockery of a marriage did. All the evenings they had eaten together, chatted together. Every morning when he got downstairs before her - he always left a cup of tea on the counter for her, in mutual, silent consent that the coffee she made was far superior to his own brew. She remembered the easy intimacy that existed between them in this house – even when they argued and she would stomp upstairs to get away from him... Ah well, it was only bricks and mortar. So silly to be wistful about it.

That framed picture of them as a couple seemed to be burning a hole in the corner of the packing box. She had found the offending item the other day under some sundry bills and papers, having wanted it out of her sight when Paul moved out. She had contemplated it briefly before a knock at the door – Jane – had interrupted her and she had quickly shoved it down the side of the packing box, where it remained amongst some cushions.

Trying to stop herself and her stupid sentimentality, she resisted moving to that part of the room as much as she could – but it was no good. She gave up and slid an arm down the side of the box, retrieving the frame. In it was a 6 by 4 picture of her and Paul, snapped shortly after they had gotten married. The picture showed them the way they were that evening - relaxed and smiling - sitting comfortably on a couch at the Robinson house. It had been taken by that wonderful father in law of hers, and when the film had been developed Jim had liked it so much he had had a copy made, framed it and brought it over, commenting on the lack of the framed wedding photo above the television set, as most married couples would have.

Gail had liked the photo immediately, and had displayed it quite visibly on a living room shelf, as much for propriety's sake as her own fondness for it. She knew she shouldn't – but would it really hurt to take one little photo of him with her?


	6. Chapter 6

The afternoon of celebrations dragged on, but he couldn't take part in it even if he had wanted to. On top of the fact his wife was leaving him, he now found that he was being judged from all sides. Not wholly unexpectedly, Paul had found himself admonished by his father for the truth about his marriage with Gail. He knew it had been coming since they presented Helen with the contract earlier that day. The reality was: he was sorrier than he had ever been his life. He was sorry he had convinced Gail to do it, sorry he had colluded and lied to his family for the last six months, sorry for so many things to do with her. Sorry for not knocking on her bedroom door that evening, sorry for not grabbing her the moment she walked through their front door and proving to her exactly how much he loved her and had missed her. Sorry for all of it. He retreated to the storeroom at the back of the Waterhole to be alone – away from the accusing eyes of them all. What did they know anyway?

He wondered where Gail was now. Was she still at number 22? Or was she at the airport, loading her bags in at check in? He allowed himself to picture her now, her graceful neck bending over her suitcases, the long lashes hiding her eyes. He imagined her handing over her passport, and in his minds eye he saw those graceful immaculate hands of hers. Had she taken off her wedding ring? In quiet moments he had imagined those hands encased in his own palm, or grasping his shoulders... but there was no room for that now. Was she really as upset as Scott had said? He missed her sorely - dreadfully - when she had been away in the States, how was he going to deal with it when she left for good?

Several hours ago, Scott had, rather characteristically, cornered him in the office, shouting at him for his deception in the marriage of convenience, accusing him of outright cowardice in not stopping Gail from walking out of his life. Goaded and at the end of his tether - it was then he had finally verbalized the feelings that had lain dormant for months 'alright! I _do _love her. So what?'

Paul had finally been honest about his feelings to his family but all he wanted was for them all to go away and leave him in peace. There was no point in telling her how he felt – she was not interested in him or she would hardly be leaving. Would anyone notice if he stayed put out here?

Lost in her own unhappiness, it wasn't until they pulled up into the driveway that she realised where they were. Lassiters. The place that had bought them together. The last place she wanted to be – the whole family was in the pub, celebrating the engagement of Paul's father. And Paul was there. She couldn't, she just couldn't see him again. It was too painful, not to mention humiliating. This was impossible. Impossible and horrible. Scott was immovable though, she should have realised what he was up to when he made his offer. He told her to come in and say goodbye to everyone and threatened not to take her at all unless she got out of the car.

She had walked into that pub as she had so many times in the past, but today her heart was in her mouth. Helen greeted her, but there was nothing malicious in her tone. She embraced her, telling her she would be missed. How much she had misjudged the Robinsons – they really were the nicest family.

But that wasn't all. She could feel him nearby, and her instincts were right. He came out of the storeroom. There was a brief moment of eye contact between them. He turned away just as quickly. Gail felt a lump in her chest that threatened to burst and tears stung her eyes. She wouldn't have him see her cry – she left the Waterhole and a sob escaped her throat.

It was a bright blustery day outside and she blinked in the strong light, not daring to look at dear little Lucy whom she knew was standing nearby. She quickly made her way to the edge of the pool, rested her elbows on the railings of the bridge, and let her body heave with tears. Hopefully just then would be the last time she would lay eyes on Paul Robinson. He had been wearing that jacket and shirt she liked a lot – normally it was difficult to get him out of his business attire of shirtsleeves and a tie – but he had obviously thought this occasion warranted an exception. He had come out of the storeroom, and from some metres away she saw him, and his eyes met hers briefly. God, he looked unhappy – his face was sombre – and almost contrite. But the feeling of him was too close and all she could feel was her heart beating her ears. He turned, wordlessly, and his shoulders retreated from her as they had before. Shortly Scott would come out, and he drive her away from this - this horrible nightmare. She hoped he wouldn't be too long inside the waterhole. But knowing Scott he could even be having words to Paul right now. For all the good that would do.

'You just blew it again, didnt you? Is that how you are going to live your life? You know, you once told me that you got to be a big success by taking risks. So why don't you take a chance on Gail? '

Right, fine, whatever. He would go out there and tell her and get rejected. If that is what his brother and everyone wanted to see, then that is what he would do. Fine.

He could see her shaking shoulders and his heart broke as suddenly he knew how much pain he had caused her. He loved her and she needed to know. He took a deep breath.

She heard him come out of the waterhole. 'Gail?'

She did not need this. She just wanted to leave this place and the whole thing in the past. Why was he trying to flog a dead horse? She couldn't look at him. She couldn't. She could feel him behind her. His voice came to her, low and pleading. 'I don't want you to go.'

Oh?

'The fact is... I love you'.

He what? Since when?

She forced herself to turn round, see that beloved face of his. What did you say? She didn't believe what she was hearing.

'I _said_,' and all of a sudden she heard that purposefulness in his voice. 'I _love you.'_

How long had she waited to hear that? She launched herself at him, throwing her arms around him, burying her head in in his shoulder. 'I love you too, so much'.

He met her face again...and took a breath, his face inches from hers. 'We have been silly, haven't we?'

She agreed. Silly wasn't the word! And then he kissed her. And kept kissing her. He gripped her so firmly around her waist she would have struggled to move if she had tried to, which she had no intention of doing. Paul was kissing her. He loved her. Was she dreaming?

His face swam into her reality again. 'Gail?'

'Yeah?'

'I should have told you that such a long time ago.' He took her face in his hands, 'and if you have to go to New York, then I will have to come with you'.

She laughed, though tears still shone on her face. 'Paul, I'm not going anywhere.' His mouth was upon hers again, and she could not close her eyes. If this was a dream she never wanted to wake up. The tears kept flowing, of happiness. A few moments ago things were so wretched, and now she had the one person she wanted telling her he loved her. How had that happened?

The pads of his thumbs wiped her damp face.'You have _got_ to stop crying darling. What am I to think if every time I kiss my wife, she cries?'

She stood infront him, his beautiful wife, her enormous eyes shining and her arms around his neck. Was he the luckiest man in the world? Quite possibly. She wasn't leaving. She was his. His wife in every sense.


	7. Chapter 7

_Last chapter! Thanks to everyone for their support (esp Jane)._

'Do you know what has just occurred to me?' His hazel eyes filled her world....He was still a little – just a little - out of breath. She remained on her back, but his avid hands never left her.

'I don't know', she said softly, and laughed a little, 'but it has just occurred to _me_ that it is a good thing this place has such efficient room service.'

He smiled at her, looking at her in a way that turned her heart over. 'Maybe we should pass on our compliments to the management'.

'Hmmm. Maybe.'

'Apparently,' he continued playfully, 'this place is managed by a young married couple'.

'Oh? Nice people then?'

'Yes very nice people. Especially the wife. Her husband is a lucky man, that Mrs Robinson is just sensational.'

'Oh really?'

She giggled as he pressed his forehead to hers and replied, 'Really.'

He busied himself in kissing her neck and curve of her shoulder. And her eyes remained closed as she reminded him, 'Paul ….. you do realise we haven't left this room in a day and a half.'

'Does it bother you?' he asked, knowing her answer, his eyes roaming down her body, following the trail of heat from his hands.

'Not at all.' she said softly.' Its funny isn't it, managing the hotel and seeing couples come here for a romantic trysts.'

'What? And now, we are having are own?'

'Yeah.'

And he kissed her so thoroughly she felt faint. They had, literally, been holed up in the managers suite for the since early evening the day before last, and were in the process of enjoying the second morning they had woken up together. Their low profile could quite reasonably be seen as extreme weariness – both were exhausted by the events of the last few days- but the couple were under no illusion as the real reason for their isolation.

'I feel a bit bad about leaving your family like we did.'

'What, the way we sneaked out?'

'Yeah, it was bit … well it was a little rude.'

'Darling, I hardly think they are going to be too concerned. They will know that we wanted some time alone.... and I could stay here forever. But the thing that did just occur to me was that – we never had a honeymoon. And I know its a bit late. And I think we should do something about that.'

'There's nothing I would like more you know. But its coming up to Christmas and with Dad out of town I would love to spend it with your family, with everything that has happened over the last few months.'

'You're right', he pressed his forehead to hers. 'We should spend the day with Dad and everyone....' he paused, choosing his next words 'but then, I just want you to myself. Where do you think you would like to go for our honeymoon?


End file.
